U.S. Department of Energy

www.doe.gov

• 2010 Budget:  $26,394 million
• Enacted 2009: $25,988 million

The President’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget provides nearly $26.4 billion for the Department of Energy.  In accordance with the President’s priorities, the budget supports the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability in modernizing the electricity grid, and increases support for the Office of Science as a step towards doubling federal investment in the basic sciences.  Several budget initiatives promote a clean energy agenda, including support for loan guarantees to help deploy innovative, clean technologies; advancement of Carbon Capture Storage (CSS) technology; and other efforts to develop and deploy an array of energy alternatives.  Addressing both environmental and safety concerns, the budget increases efforts to secure, manage, and dispose of nuclear material and invests in technology to detect and deter nuclear smuggling and the development of weapons of mass destruction programs.

INVESTMENT IN THE SCIENCES

• Invests in cutting-edge innovation.  The budget substantially increases funding for innovation and technology initiatives, on path to meet the President’s goal to double the federal investment in science. The President’s plan increases funding for improving our understanding of climate science and continues the United States' commitment to international energy and science projects.  The budget also expands graduate fellowship programs that will train students in critical energy-related fields.

NEW ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

• Invests in smart, energy-efficient, reliable electricity delivery infrastructures. The budget provides support for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, as part of the President’s investment plan to modernize the nation’s electric grid.  The plan includes energy storage, cyber security, and investments in research, development and demonstration of smart grid technologies that will accelerate the transformation of the nation’s energy transmission and distribution system, enhance security and reliability of energy infrastructure, and facilitate recovery from disruptions to the energy supply.

CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY

• Encourages the early commercial use of new, innovative energy technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The budget supports loan guarantees for innovative energy technologies including renewable energy projects, transmission projects, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects that avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants and greenhouse gases while simultaneously creating green jobs and contributing to long-term economic growth and international competitiveness. 

• Advances the development of low-carbon coal technologies.  The budget supports CCS technology and, along with the $3.4 billion provided in the Recovery Act for low-carbon emission power demonstrations, these funds will help allow the use of our extensive domestic coal resources while reducing the impacts on climate change.

INCREASED NUCLEAR SECURITY

• Reduces proliferation risks and ensures the safety, security, and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing.  The budget supports increased efforts to secure and dispose of nuclear material and invest in innovative science and technology to detect and deter nuclear smuggling and the development of weapons of mass destruction programs. The President’s plan ends development work on the Reliable Replacement Warhead, while continued work to improve the nuclear stockpile’s safety, security, and reliability is enhanced.

• Focuses on the cleanup and management of radioactive waste and nuclear materials. The budget focuses on improved performance and accountability for the environmental legacy of the Nation's nuclear weapons program by addressing health and safety across the country.  The Yucca Mountain program will be scaled back to those costs necessary to answer inquiries from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, while the Administration devises a new strategy toward nuclear waste disposal.